Samuel ii



(No Model.)

S. I-I. JENKINS.

AUTOMATIC 'RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Aug. I8,

NV PETERS. Fhnllrliibogranher, Wnshinglnn. D40.

limiten @rares Partnr @trueno SAMUEL H. JENKINS, OF NEV YORK, N. .Y.

AUTOMATIC RAI LvvnY-svvirea-i.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patentll'o. 324,773,`dated August 18, 1885,

(No model.)

T aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. JnNkrNs, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in Combined Railway Switches and Frogs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates especially to mechanism employed upon railways for transferring locomotives, cars, or trains from one set of rails to another; and it has for its object the provision of a combined switch and frog wherein the fixed rails cannot move from their proper position and wherein absolute safety is obtained, rendering it impossible that a locomotive, ear, or train passing over the switch and the parts of the track combined therewith shall become derailed, causing loss of life or destruction el`| property.

To attain the desired end my invention consists, essentially, in a \lshaped rail, taking the place of the ordinary l'rog, said rail being secured tothe extremities of the stationary rails by means of iish-plates, and resting upon a bcd-plate, to which the stationary rails are riveted or bolted, in such a manner that its point may move to the right or left, such movement being limited by stops secured to or forming a part oi' the bed-plate. rlhe point of the il-shaped rail extends between the wing-rails of the main and side track, each of said rails heilig immovably secured to said bed-platc, which in turn is securely spiked to the tics. Atlixed tothe V -shaped rail, near its point, is an opcratingrod extending to the crank ot' a shalt whercon is located a throwing-bar. A suitable spring is interposed in the operating'rod, in order to permit the automatic movement oi' the tl-shaped rail by the ilanges of the wheels of trucks passing along either track when the frog is not placed in proper position l'or such track. The switch with which the V-shaped rail is connected is located upon the main track, the rails forming said switch terminating in needle-points, the other extremities of the switchrails being secured by shplates to the stationary rails, and connected together by bars in the usual manner. The foot of the switch-rails next to the main-track rails is cut away in such a manner as to permit them to lie closely there against and pass above the foot of the mainline rails, being held in this raised position bymeans ot ways or supports secured to or forming a part of the longitudinal bed-plate, to which the fixed rails of the track are secured. rlhe above-mentioned ways or supports serve also to hold the iixed rails securely to the bedplate upon the inside, theV outside being double-spiked to said plate and to the ties. An operating-rod secured to the switch extends to a crank upon the shaft, to which the throwing rod or bar is attached, said shaft operating both the tlf-shaped rail or frog and the switch. A spring is interposed in the rod connected to the switch, in order to permit the automatic movement of the rails by the i'langes of passing wheels in case the switch should not be in proper position when a train passes over it, all of which will be hereinafter first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure il is a plan view of my improved combined switch and frog. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view at the operatingbar of the switch in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of one of the guides for the operating-rod of the switch, the ties to which it is secured being shown in section. Fig. et is a longitudinal sectional view ol one ol" the bedplat-es ol" the switch. Fig. 5 is alongiA tudinal sectional view of the spring interr posed in the operatingrod olI the tj-shaped rail. Fig. (5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view ol' a fragment ol` the bed-plate beneath the V-shaped and wing rails.

Like letters of reference wherever they occur in dicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A are the ties upon which the rails and bedplates are laid. D is a metal bed-plate secured to the ties. A are the rails of the mai n track, and B are the rails ofthe side track.

l) is a V- shaped rail which takes the place of the ordinary l'rog. Said tl-shaped rail is secured to the iixed rail of the main. and side tracks by means ol" fish-plates NV, the foot oi" l'OO . foot of the fixed rail cut away upon the inside to permit the rail P to lie snugly thereagainst when turned to either side.

O are stops or ears secured to or formed upon plate D, said stops limiting the lateral movement of rail P. The rails of both the main' and side tracks are riveted to bed-plate D at Q, and any movement of the track in a longitudinal direction must always be uniform, and thus it is impossible that the parts of the device should become displaced.

X is an operating-rod secured to a bar, X3, which is riveted or bolted. to rail P. A depression, B3, is formed in plate D for the passage of bar X3, as illustrated in Fig. 6. A spring', It, is located between the two parts of rod X, one of said parts having a right-hand and the other a left-hand screw-thread cut thereon, engaging with nuts S, for the purpose of taking up or letting out the tension of the spring, as may be required. The nuts S are cast upon the spring R, and are provided with an eight-sided shoulder, T, to which a wrench may be applied for regulating the tension.

V are guides secured to ties, rod X passing through said guides, which serve to keepit in a proper position and prevent buckling of the spring. The extremity of rod X engages with a crank, O3, upon a shaft, A', to which a throwing bar, D3, is affixed in the usual manner. l

D are longitudinal bed-plates, to which the main-track rails and the extremities of the side-track rails are firmly secured.

Care needle-pointed rails forming the switch, said rails being connected by bars F, and secured to rails A and B by means of fish-plates WV. The foot of each rail upon the side next the fixed rail is cut away in order to permit the switch-rails to press or lie closely against said fixed rails in the well-known manner.

E are supports or ways secured to or forming a part ofthe bed-plates D', supporting the rails of the switch, and extending over the at y in such a manner as to firmly hold it in place upon the inside, the outside being secured by double spikes Z, passing through the bed-plate and into the ties. I have shown the ways E as being riveted to bed-plates D; but as said plates are constructed of wrought-iron, slots may be cut at the necessary points, and by turning the metal upward at the edges of the slots the ways or supports may be readily formed upon the plate itself.

H is an operating rod attached to a connecting-bar at G. This rod is bifurcated, the forks thereof being screw -threaded their entire length. Locking nuts K engage with these screw-threads, holding the guides L in place, and by which the tension ofthe spring R may be regulatedfsaid spring being supported upon a rod, H, passing through the guides L, which play upon horizontal plates M, secured to the edges of ties A3, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Rod

H passes through guides L, and engages with a crank, C3, upon the shaft A. This arrangement permits the movement of the rails of the switch by the flanges of passing wheels, as before described for rail P.

When all the parts of the device are in the position shownrin Fig. l, a continuous,un-

broken track is formed for the main line both over the frog and switch. If a locomotive, ear, or cars should now pass from the side to the main track,the flanges of the wheels would throw the point of the rail P to the left, and then the rails of the switch in turn, safely passing thereover, leaving the main track still in proper shape for the passage of trains thereover, the switch and rail P being returned to their former position by the action of springs R.

In order to place the switch and frog in proper position for the passage of cars to the side track, the throw-bar D3 is reversed in position, bringing the switch-rails and rail P to the left, forming a continuous, unbroken line of rails from the main to the side track. Should a train now come from the right upon the main track, the iianges ofthe wheels would press rail P and the switch-rails to the right, safely passing both frog and switch,when the parts ofthe device would be automatically reV stored to their former position.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein, land desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In automatic safety railway-switches,the combination of longitudinal plates whereon are formed or secured bearings for Amovable needle-point rails, movable needle-point rails supported on said bearings substantially upon a level with fixed main-line and side-track rails secured to said plates firmly at each end thereof beyond the heels and points of said movable needle-point rails, the fixed mainline and side-track rails outside of said movable needle-point rails being spiked to the ties through the plate on the outside, and held in place by said bearings projecting over the foot of these fixed rails on the inside, substantially as shown and described.

2. The hereindescribed combined safety switch and frog, consisting of the needle-pointed switch-rails mounted upon supports secured to or formed upon the longitudinal plates D', to which the rails A and B are secured, as set forth, the frog consisting of the V-shaped rail P, mounted upon the plate D, the said needle-pointed switch and the frog being provided with an operating-rod wherein is located the spring, as shown, said rods connecting with cranks upon the operatingshaft, the whole arranged to be operated automatically by the flanges of passing wheels or by means of the said shaft, as set forth.

3. In a device of the character herein specied, the bifureated rod H, the forks thereof being screw-threaded for their entire length, as set forth, guides L, plates M, spring R, rod

lOO

IIO

. side, substantially as shown and described.

5. In automatic safety railway-switches,the combination of movable needle-point rails supported on bearings on longitudinal plates, to which iixed main and side track rails are secured beyond the heels of said movable rails, a movable V-shaped rail supported on a longitudinal plate secured to the fixed inside 2o main and side track rails beyond the heel of the V-shaped rail and to the wings of the fixed inside main and side track rails near the other end of said plate, and connecting and operating rods and springs, all arranged snbstan- 25 tially as set forth, for automatic operation by anges oi' passing car-wheels, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the above as my true and lawful invention `I hereunto sub- 3o scribe my signature and affix my seal, in the presence of two Witnesses, in the city, county, and State of New York, this the 23d day of January, 1883.

. SAMUEL I-I. JENKINS. [Ls] Vitnesses:

FRANK L. CRAWFORD, GEO. B. HEATH. 

